Mandatory Vaccine Critic: Risks of Shots Understated

A critic of mandatory child vaccinations made no apologies for her views in an appearance on Newsmax TV Tuesday, and said that public anger over the Disneyland measles outbreak should be directed at pharmaceutical companies and the federal government, not people like her.

"What's happening is people are freaking out about measles outbreaks," Louise Kuo Habakus said ina combative interview with "MidPoint" host Ed Berliner. "They're pointing the finger at unvaccinated children and non-vaccinated families, when really what needs to happen is people need to be pointing the finger at industry and at Congress."

Habakus, co-founder of a group called the Center for Personal Rights, objected to being labeled an "anti-vaxxer" — "a stupid name," she said, that doesn't account for the real medical risks including allergic reactions, brain damage and even death that inoculations pose to some children.

"If you were allergic to penicillin, what would I call you? Anti-penicillin?" said Habakus.

"The issue comes down to parental choice," she said. "Parents need to have the right to decide what goes into their children's bodies."

"What parents know in looking at the literature, and looking at the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, they see that there is serious injury and death associated with vaccines," said Habakus.

Habakus argued that conventional wisdom understates the risks of getting shots for measles, mumps and Rubella and the like, and overstates their effectiveness.

She said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention keeps pushing vaccinations, however, "because they don't want people to lose confidence in the program," even though children have been harmed, and despite the fact that vaccines sometimes fail, and can transmit the very viruses they're intended to curb.

"We know there is something more to immunity than just the presence of vaccine-induced antibodies," she said, adding, "You can be immune and not have antibodies."

Habakus said she is working on a documentary film, entitled "Bought," that looks at the liability exemption Congress granted to vaccine makers after they were hit with numerous lawsuits.

Today, she said, vaccination is "an unbelievable business" because the drugs' makers cannot be sued for damages in the event of adverse reactions.

With dozens of people in as many as five states hit by measles traced to Disneyland in Southern California, and more cases being reported, Habakus said that she is not urging people to forego vaccines, but to learn about the risks and to be given a choice.

A critic of mandatory child vaccinations made no apologies for her views in an appearance on Newsmax TV Tuesday, and said that public anger over the Disneyland measles outbreak should be directed at pharmaceutical companies and the federal government, not people like her.